From a VIP Fellow: a welcome to the new year of service

Alex (second from right) with fellow VIP AmeriCorps members Sabina Ahuja and
Cody Cibart (left), and supervisor Lauren Serpa (far right).

By Alex Rowan, Local VIP Leader at CalSERVES in Rohnert Park, CA

Becoming a VIP has been an exciting, albeit hectic, journey.  A month ago, I was home in Colorado, packing up my car, ready to move to Philadelphia to begin graduate school.  The prospect of grad school excited me, and I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in a new city.  However, tucked away somewhere in the recesses of my mind, a thought began to emerge which told me that spending the next year in classes accruing a huge amount of debt would ultimately leave me unfulfilled.  It told me that what I needed was to work in a community, and have opportunities to grow through service that grad school just couldn’t provide.

So I applied to AmeriCorps to see if there was something out there for me.  I didn’t think I would actually give up my ideal education no matter what opportunity presented itself.  I felt more like I was tangentially indulging in a never-to-be-pursued dream of committing a year to service that would quickly be passed by.  That is until I found myself sitting in the dining room fiddling with my webcam so that I could interview with Lauren Serpa via Skype.

Dressed in my nicest polo and my most comfortable pajama pants, I logged into Skype and began the interview.  Lauren told me about CalSERVES.  She asked the standard questions about my strengths and weaknesses, all the while offering an overview of what I might be doing as a VIP.  The opportunity seemed interesting, but what really struck me was that even though we were 1,300 miles away, I could feel Lauren’s enthusiasm for the program radiating from the screen in front of me.  I was sold.

I accepted the position, finished packing my car, and headed west!  After a few days driving, I made it to my new home, Santa Rosa, CA.  I should clarify that I mean home in the broadest sense.  I didn’t know anyone in Santa Rosa, I wasn’t exactly sure what I had gotten myself into, and I didn’t have a place to live, save for the couch of a few generous AmeriCorps alums.  The next day was our first training, and so began my year as a VIP Fellow.

Throughout the following week, I received calls from friends, and even my sister, on the east coast who didn’t get the memo that I had moved to California.  They were still intent on visiting me in Philly before school started.  When I told them the news, they were understandably shocked to discover I had seemingly made a wrong turn back in Colorado and ended up on the wrong coast.  I let them know that plans had changed, and that I followed that tangential dream and made it my new reality.

Although I’m still crashing on a couch, with a very modest income, recently on food stamps, and living a life that is the exact opposite of everything I anticipated my life being at UPenn, I couldn’t be more excited about working as a CalSERVES VIP Fellow for the coming year.  The staff have provided unwavering support, my fellow VIPs are amazing individuals who I am excited to work with, and everyone has the same enthusiasm and excitement for service that Lauren showed when I first spoke with her.

And so I welcome my fellow VIPs at all of our partner organizations.  With continuing support and a passion for service, I know this will be an amazing year of growth for all of us, and for the communities that we are here to serve.

Welcome to the new year!

Congratulations to the 2012-13 VIP Fellow crew for making it to the end of the first week of the service term!

This year, our program includes 140 AmeriCorps members serving across 16 California counties.  VIP Fellows will send the upcoming year of service building sustainable volunteer programs at not-for-profit organizations such as food banks, school, women's shelters, libraries, and others that bring services to California's highest-need children and families.

Throughout the year, it is our goal to connect 16,800 volunteers who will give 84,000 hours of service to those most in need in our state.  We are excited to see all the great things we can get done with all of that effort!

Cheers to an inspiring new year!

AmeriCorps VIP Hits Chicago for National Conference on Volunteering

Bryan, right, with HOIE staff members Denise and Megan at the conference

 By Bryan Nakawaki, AmeriCorps VIP Leader at HandsOn Inland Empire

Between June 17^th and 20^th, I attended the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Chicago, Illinois—an event that proved hugely educational! Over the four-day period I attended sessions discussing service-learning, disaster preparedness, best practices in volunteer management, and a variety of other informative and useful topics. I also had the chance to learn about a number of non-profit organizations doing great work across the country, including the Israel Idonije Foundation, founded by a member of the Chicago Bears.

Especially interesting was a series of discussions on how to engage youth in volunteerism, sponsored by Generation On. Through this series, I was able to learn how to deeply engage youth in service and how to develop projects that tap into the social, emotional, and psychological needs of students so they walk away as powerful agents of change. After attending this series, I was anxious to get back to the Inland Empire to put these valuable strategies to use!  

After each day of the conference, the team from HandsOn Inland Empire and I also tried to immerse ourselves in the city, visiting iconic landmarks (Willis Tower, Soldier Field, the Cloud Gate sculpture), watching some of the local sports teams, and tasting the city’s signature pizza and hot dogs.

Both culturally and practically, the conference offered me a tremendous chance to grow as a person and a volunteer organizer. To say that I simply feel more prepared to lead volunteers and engage citizens in acts of volunteerism would be an understatement. I also feel more knowledgeable about the challenges our nation faces and how we, as a team, can combat them.

This conference was nothing short of an incredible experience, and I look forward to attending future conferences in cities throughout the country! 

Ongoing Training for Volunteers: 6 ideas to get you started

VIP Americorps member Mira Fielding with volunteers from her partner site, Circle of Sisters, at the 8th Annual Power of Know Conference put on by the Women’s and Gender Studies students at Sonoma State University

Ongoing volunteers provide invaluable support to your organization - so do them a favor and help mix up their volunteer experience by providing some ongoing training!  Help them learn more skills, grow personally or professionally, or learn more about your organization's cause.  Go beyond the basic training and orientation to give them a special training experience that shows them that you care and are invested in them.

Having trouble finding training topics to provide to those volunteers who have been around for a while?   Here are 5 quick tips to get you started:

1. Ask your volunteers what they want to learn about.  Volunteers will be more invested in the training and appreciate it more if it is a topic they are interested in.
2. Ask your organization's staff what they would like volunteers to know.  The people who work with volunteers day-to-day will have a good idea of what additional skills could really help your organization.
3. Provide training on leadership.  Your dedicated volunteers are great candidates for volunteer leaders who can help train, orient, or recruit others to get involved in the organization.  Help them get started by boosting their confidence with some leadership skills.
4. Take your volunteers with you to a training you are going to attend.
5. Invite volunteers to the organization's staff trainings.
6. Check out available workshops and trainings at your local volunteer center, chamber of commerce, or university.  You may as well take advantage of trainings that are already offered in your area!